October 2011 - The Firemen Visit!

October 2011

And then the furnace blew up!  We had an oil furnace, and (my fault) hadn’t been very diligent about getting it serviced regularly.  It was after all, just a cottage…  One Friday night we heard a huge boom and smelled fumes.  We grabbed a phone and ran outside in our jammies and called 911.  Moments later 4 firetrucks (staffed by volunteers) showed up on our single lane road.  In the end the problem was that the spark was mis-firing, oil built up in the chamber, and then finally did ignite with literally a bang.  One of the exhaust pipes was blown right off, and in the process it was discovered that the pipe wasn’t double-walled and up to code.  A mandatory work order was issued, we got temporary extensions, but after February 2012 the oil service was not legally able to deliver any more oil.  With a full tank of oil, a woodstove, and a mild winter we were able to limp through the balance of the season.